JAMMU, Apr 10(TNI): The people of Jammu particularly the residents of the Bhagwati Nagar area and other outskirt areas, where Minibuses have stopped plying are facing a lot of difficulties because of the highhandedness of the Mini bus operators and total neglect by those at the helm of affairs in the traffic department.
Despite the tremendous increase in the passenger vehicles in the city and its adjoining areas, there is only one Minibus available for the thousands of the population of Bhagwati area.
Locals alleged that this area has its own importance as Ashram of Asha Ram Bapu and Jammu Yatri Bhawan of Amarnath Shrine Board is located in this area.
Because of one Minibus plying in the area, students and employees face lot of difficulties as this Matador used to return after more than half hour and other option is that passengers tread of foot and board the Minibus from Talab Tillo road which is one kilometer away from Bhagwati Nagar route. Old age and other people who cannot walk are the biggest sufferers of absence of Minibuses.
Earlier there were four vehicles plying on this route, at present only one used to ply here.
Minibus operators in the area claimed that influential people in the field usually get permission of plying Mini Buses during peak season when Amarnath Yatra begins or when on every Sunday when there is Satsang in the Asha Ram Bapu’s Ashram.
They charged the fares as per their will more than the prescribed fares by the concerned authorities resulting in adverse impact on our business.
Manager of Matador Union Jammu, Suram Singh said that they were going to provide one Minibus within 15 days keeping in view the problems being faced by the people of the area and pilgrims/tourists.
He also said that some routes are more beneficial than the others, many operators applied for change in the routes citing this reason.
These routes included Panjtirthi to Bakshi Nagar, Panjtirthi to Preet Nagar, and Panjtirthi to Nanak Nagar besides others are ceased to exist because of less profitability.
Condition of the Nanak Nagar and Preet Nagar is worse, when the route itself ceased to exist leaving the thousands of the people at the mercy of God.
Locals appealed to the RTO and other concerned authorities to provide transport facilities to them.